An Alternate History of the Mexican Empire (1821-)

[LNSS]

Greetings. This is a timeline I’ve wanted to start for some time now. It will chronicle the history of a surviving Mexican Empire, hopefully thorough both the 19th and 20th centuries; the PoD is that Agustin de Iturbide is sent to subdue Guadalupe Victoria and not Vicente Guerrero in 1821, and that changes everything. The timeline will be written in a narrative “textbook” style, with maps and tables where appropriate to understand the situation better. This timeline will be continuously revised and updated.

That’s all for now.
​

__________________________________________________________________
Birth of a Nation

Col. Agustin de Iturbide was a creole, which meant he had been born in Spanish North America but his ancestors had come from Spain, and like most members of his class. But it would be his strategic brilliance, and his zealous opposition to the insurgents, which would rise him to prominence in colonial Mexico — his successful defense of Valladolid (1813) was followed by the Battle of Puruarán (1814), in which he permanently broke the power of the insurgents and made himself famous.

Colonel Agustín de Iturbide​

After a decade of fighting had drained the coffers and depleted the manpower of the Spanish North American colonies, most insurgent commanders had been methodically defeated and captured, while the insurgent movement itself was reduced to a few thousand scattered across the mountains and jungles of southern Mexico. The war was for all intents and purposes over, and the colonial government had emerged triumphant.

In the aftermath, Iturbide was given command of the Eastern Armies and instructed to crush the remnants of the insurgent forces once and for all. The insurgent remnants in the Veracruz region were of particular importance to the colonial government because they had evaded capture for too long, and emboldended, had now resumed raids on Spanish positions with some small garrisons in the area even joining them. It was feared that these events could breathe new life into the rebellion, something which could not be allowed to happen.

But considering the insurgents to be nonthreatening, Iturbide’s personal ambitions were turning somewhere else. Across the ocean, a brief revolution had forced Ferdinand VII to accept a constitution, which in itself wasn’t that much of a problem, except that it showcased the weakness of the Spanish ancien régime and increased fears that it could collapse into revolution at any given moment — while this was most certainly improbable, the specters of liberalism and republicanism still haunted much of Europe in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, and this attitude had very much spread to the American colonies.

Meanwhile, the colonial government failed to perceive the unrest spreading across the land among the traditionalist elements which had opposed the independence movement before. The realm was financially devastated, politically compromised, and insurgent bands still roamed the land despite lacking manpower and coherent leadership. To put it simple, the belief among traditionalists was that the colonial government was failing and could not be trusted to hold against a renewed tide of radicalism, and for this, they began planning a coup to seize control.

Guadalupe Victoria
Iturbide had arisen as a leading figure within this plot, but it wasn’t until Iturbide was granted command of the Eastern Armies that the plot could move forward.

After a couple of skirmishes in the mountains near Xalapa during the first weeks of 1821, Iturbide had found that much of the population still held sympathies for the insurgent cause of independence, and came to realize himself that independence was not only convenient at the time, but had become inevitable. With that, the plot began to involve something more than just seizing control of the colonial government.

Iturbide thus ceased military operations against the insurgents, and instead invited them to talk, believing that perhaps they could be convinced to support the plot in exchange for a limited independence scheme. Guadalupe Victoria, the most prominent insurgent commander in the region, at first ignored the colonel’s proposal for a ceasefire and negotiations, claiming that he would never surrender. But after subsequent communications in which Iturbide not only vindicated the insurgent’s efforts to achieve independence, but explained in detail his own efforts and the support he could muster for the cause among creoles, Victoria decided to go along with the colonel’s plan, realizing there wasn’t any hope for them to successfully overthrow the colonial authorities by themselves. Iturbide would write to the colonial government, which remained oblivious to his intentions, that the insurgents had been defeated.

The two men would proclaim the Reform Plan on February 24th, proposition for the colonial government to reorganize into a provisional council aimed to the establishment of an independent realm, with the crown being offered to Ferdinand VII. The Reform Army, created from both insurgent and traditionalist forces, turned around and began their march towards the capital.

The colonial government was unable to challenge the Reform Plan, confirming the structural weakness on which the traditionalists had counted. Before too long, the Reformists controlled the vast majority of the cities and the armies in the realm, and the colonial government was recalled — after decades of war, men who had been enemies now marched together for the same cause.

Constitutional Convention

On September 28th, the victorious Reformists entered the capital. The Mexican Empire was immediately proclaimed to the cheers of the populace, with an Imperial Council appointed to oversee the government.

The members of the Imperial Council were:

• Agustin de Iturbide: Helped write the Reform Plan. During the conflicts of the previous decade, he was a traditionalist and fought the insurgents in several different battles, eventually he broke their power in 1814, and was appointed commander to the Eastern Armies.
• Guadalupe Victoria: Helped write the Reform Plan. He fought for the insurgents during the conflicts of the previous decade, and was a lieutenant of the insurgent hero Jose Maria Morelos. Was never defeated or captured. Now the rising star of the liberal and republican movement within the Mexican Empire.
• Juan O’Donojú: The last colonial governor, he had been appointed to replace his predecessor, who had been unable to stop the advance of the Reformists. Much to the surprise of all, he announced his willingness to discuss terms as soon as he arrived; when he realized that independence was inevitable, he and his retinue joined the ranks of the Reformists.
  

Juan O´Donoju
Iturbide and Victoria, while allied to consummate the independence, actually represented completely opposite interests — conservative monarchism versus liberal republicanism, two different forces that threatened to tear apart the young independent nation. In order to reconcile these two positions, Juan O’Donojú would work tirelessly the following weeks; most historians do not hesitate to attribute the eventual success of the Mexican Empire to the Spaniard’s valiant efforts to build a compromise between these two great men and the factions they represented.

The Imperial Council eventually agreed to move forward with the most pressing matter at hand, the Constitutional Convention. More precisely, its composition. After fierce debate, it was decided that a number of delegates would need to be appointed by the provincial governments based on the principle of proportional representation, with the sparsely populated northern territories each getting a flat amount of delegates — interestingly, the lack of reliable census data led the Imperial Council to use outdated information, which in turn meant that the regions which had been hit the hardest during the war would be over-represented. In the end, 152 delegates were expected in the capital at the time of the Constitutional Convention’s inauguration, to be held on the anniversary of the Reform Plan’s proclamation.

On February 24th, the Constitutional Convention was inaugurated. All of the delegates had arrived the previous weeks without incident, and after mass, began to work on the daunting task of drafting a Constitution.

On February 28th, it was brought to the attention of the delegates that Spain still refused to recognize independence, and thereby, Ferdinand VII was “unable or unwilling” to assume the offered crown. Furthermore, other members House of Bourbon were now expected to spurn the offer given the situation. In the midst of the crisis, the delegates began to split. Some began to push for the transformation of the Mexican Empire into a Mexican Republic, but overcome by both liberal and conservative monarchist factions, a resolution was passed for the creation of a “special delegation”, which would cross the ocean and attempt to obtain the recognition of the European powers.

 

[Unknown]

Good start. What's the PoD for this?

 

[LNSS]

Good start. What's the PoD for this?

The idea is that Iturbide is sent to subdue Guadalupe Victoria and not Vicente Guerrero.

Victoria still agrees to join Iturbide, but becomes more influential than Guerrero was in our timeline (he was a stronger and more resolute liberal leader), securing a spot in the provisional government and balancing out Iturbide.

IOTL Iturbide's unparalleled popularity allowed him to appoint lackeys to the provisional government and the Constitutional Congress was a disaster as a result, this is also averted here.

 

[LNSS]

Constitutional Emperor

Conservative delegate Lucas Alamán, who had briefly served as a representative to the Spanish Cortes during the Colonial era, was given command of the special delegation which sought to find a monarch for the realm, the men assigned to his charge were mostly professional statesmen with conservative values. Fearing that they might be arrested attempting to dock on a Spanish port, the special delegation had instead arrived in England — extensive correspondence was held between the delegates and their contacts within the Spanish Cortes, but they didn’t seem to accomplish much in regards of convincing Ferdinand VII to recognize the independence of Mexico.

Ferdinand VII had no male issue, but had two younger brothers. Don Carlos stood to inherit the Spanish throne, and had two male children; considered to be the future of the monarchy, he could not accept the throne of the Mexican Empire even if he hadn’t been forbidden to consider the proposal. Meanwhile, Don Francisco, while liberal-minded and adventurous, and sometimes even at odds with his own family, was still devoted to his eldest brother and would not disregard his wishes, though contemporary accounts also claim that he was too preoccupied with balancing out the conservatives in the court and feared that without moderation and restraint his brothers could inadvertently provoke a revolution.

Lucas Alamán

This left the delegation in a tough position, while back in Mexico, the Constitutional Convention weighted the available options. A proposal was considered to give the delegates power to consider candidates and eventually elect a Constitutional Emperor if nobody else was found, and adopted by the Constitutional Convention after a particularly contentious debate. Critics noted that such an option defeated the purpose of the monarchical government, namely that the monarch would be above the politics of the realm and that it would help forge strong relationships with the European powers. The deadline given to the delegates was exactly twelve months after the inaugration of the Constitutional Convention, that would be February 24th of 1823.

Upon receiving news of these developments, the delegates doubled their efforts, but the remaining Bourbon candidates were either too young, or already possessed rich lands and prestigious titles in Europe that they were unwilling to forsake in exchange for what they considered a backwater province halfway across the world. Time was running out, and while the Mexican delegation were cautious and measured in their contacts with European princes, rumors still spread about their intentions, which led to ridicule and scorn across the continent.

The situation continued to deteriorate to the point that the delegates considered returning home a few months before the deadline and try to get Juan O’Donoju elected to the throne… that is, until they caught the attention of Francis of Austria, and critically, that of his state chancellor, Prince Clemens von Metternich.

The Austrian monarch had requested from Britain details of the Mexican emissaries they were hosting and their intentions, and satisfied with the reports he received, invited the delegates to his summer residence. Francis was a very traditional monarch, during the Napoleonic Wars he had acquired a deep distrust of liberal radicalism, and he had come to believe that the Mexican Empire could become a bulwark against such ideas in the American continent; he especially seemed to have in mind the growing power of the United States, which had aligned themselves with Napoleon. It is known that he told as much to Lucas Alamán and the other members of the Mexican delegation, but when asked if he intended to accept the crown of the Mexican Empire, he just laughed and explained that his intention was to remain in Austria, though he would consider assisting them in finding a suitable candidate for the throne.

The special delegation spent most of Summer 1822 in Vienna, while Emperor Francis discussed his plans and explained his wishes to the Austrian state chancellor. Prince Clemens von Metternich had been the main architect behind the Congress of Vienna; a staunch oppositor to anything that might upset the balance of power, despite his own concern regarding the United States, he was more critical to the idea of a Mexican adventure than his liege.

But the situation in Spain was rapidly deteriorating, giving Prince Metternich the opening he needed. Ferdinand VII had been reduced to a prisoner within his own palace, and the liberal government which had forced him to accept a constitution had radicalized even more, so much that the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic became a distinct possibility — these developments convinced the European powers of the Congress of Vienna to prepare an intervention in order to restore absolutism in Spain, and the Mexican Empire was about to become just another front against liberalism.

The candidate that Francis had in mind to sit the Imperial Throne of Mexico was one of his younger brothers. But not just anyone could be expected to lead the Mexican Empire successfully, not everybody had the military skill or the political experience to rule a country of that size, and it was part of his duties to make sure that the members of his House succeeded.

Charles I — First Constitutional Emperor of Mexico

But there was one person who could succeed. Archduke Charles Ludwig of Teschen was 51 and had four healthy children who would carry on his legacy. His skills as a military commander honed in the battles of the Napoleonic Wars, he grew to become an experienced and brilliant strategist who was considered to have been one of Napoleon’s most formidable opponents. As a commander, he emphasized caution and the importance of controlling of strategic points, and at the same time, he was flawless in executing complex and risky maneuvers of troops in the heat of battle.

When the Mexican delegation learned of Francis’s decision, they were understandably ecstatic — a Habsburg prince was every bit as good as a Bourbon one, and not only had they been promised the Spanish recognition of the Mexican Empire’s independence, but also some degree of support from the Congress of Vienna powers. There was a condition, though — Charles would not be subjected to a liberal constitution, he would not be allowed to suffer through the same humiliations that the Bourbons in France and Spain had gone through, and would be permanently assured considerable power and influence as the Constitutional Emperor of Mexico.

The Mexican delegation accepted, and quickly sent word to Mexico that the mission had been a success. The conditions that the Austrians had imposed were expected to some degree, but they still caused turmoil in the Constitutional Convention, and provoked tensions between liberal and conservative monarchist factions, with the few republican delegates walking out in protest.

On September 13th, Charles disembarked in the port of Veracruz, and descended with his family to the welcoming cheers of the people; from there he was escorted to the capital, where he accepted to take the title of Constitutional Emperor.

 

[AcaciaSgt]

Well, that's an interesting PoD.

Haha, I must admit, I'm finding it quite amusing a Habsburg still ends up taking the Mexican throne.

 

[Dan1988]

Well, that's an interesting PoD.

Haha, I must admit, I'm finding it quite amusing a Habsburg still ends up taking the Mexican throne.

Agreed on both counts. Though at least here I'm assuming the same administrative structure of the OTL First Mexican Empire is retained, which would definitely have butterflies in Central America.

 

[LNSS]

A preview of the next update,

 

[LNSS]

Constitution

In December, Charles took residence in Chapultepec Castle in the outskirts of the capital. Although he had accepted to take the title of Constitutional Emperor, he would not be crowned nor assume the responsibilities of the position until after the Constitution itself was completed and the first Imperial Congress was elected.

Charles did not hesitate to exert his influence over the constituent process, though, and this interference would ensure that the Constitutional Convention moved towards fulfilling certain expectations.

An important issue which divided the delegates at the time was that of the territorial organization of the realm, which at over 4.000.000 km2, was to large to be governed from a central location. A proposal for the federalisation of the empire called for the reorganization of imperial territories into states, with each of the state’s borders based on those from the traditional kingdoms from the time before the bourbon reforms.

While this was well-received, further amendments were made under pressure from the monarch’s advisors which required that the states be considered autonomous realms under personal union with the imperial crown, a safeguard that would allow the monarch to assume direct control of a federal unit should it be considered necessary. In exchange for these concessions, the delegates managed to extract certain guarantees from the monarch’s advisors, such as the election of Crown Parliaments in each state, which would form state governments in behalf of the monarch.

But there was significant dissent from the northern territories’ delegations. Mass settlement there was largely a recent phenomenon, so they were not being included into any of the four traditional kingdoms that would make up the states. While their consent was not considered essential, a proposal intended to appease these delegations guaranteed that territories would be able to request their accession into the the federation as a state, but only once their total population was equal to that of the imperial state with the lowest population — in 1823, that would have been the Crown of Yucatan, with about 600.000 inhabitants. This gave those certain regions a clear path forward to statehood in the coming years.

Federalism had triumphed over Centralism, but now the issue of the legislature and its relationship with the executive was brought back to the table. Most delegations now favored a bicameral legislature, the Imperial & Federal Parliament, with a lower-house which would voice the concerns of the male landowning citizens of the empire and an upper-house designed to represent the interests of the states.

Members of the lower-house, called the Imperial Parliament, would be elected as representatives of their home province, with each province being assigned a number of seats through the principle of proportional representation — each would serve a maximum of 4 years, and only male landowners over 25 would be able to vote or stand for election.

Meanwhile, the members of the upper-house, called the Federal Council, would be appointed by the state governments through equal apportionment, with each state government being allowed to send 7 representatives. The monarch was required to confirm each appointment, and all appointees were expected to hold a noble title or otherwise be an outstanding imperial citizen in all regards.

This structure seemed to balance the powers of the executive and the legislative to the satisfaction of the different factions within the Constitutional Convention. The proposed Constitution was considered progressive when compared to the absolutist monarchies of the old continent, but managed to safeguard the privileges of the traditional powers, and was sure to cause ripples in Europe, where it could provide a more realistic path towards reform than the radical republicanism of the United States.

The Constitutional Emperor, after all, had unlimited power to command all armies and fleets, negotiate and sign treaties with foreign powers, appoint the heads of the imperial ministries, and issue imperial decrees without consultation.

Most of the remaining issues, such as the monarch’s style of address, were of limited importance and were solved without much controversy. The sole exception was that of the individual rights of the imperial citizens, for which a charter of rights was swiftly drafted and approved without much disagreement — it provided citizens of the empire with some important rights such as free speech, freedom of association and freedom of enterprise.

On May 5th, a date which would celebrated thereafter as Constitution Day, the delegates signed the finished their grand endeavor and proclaimed the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention. The first Imperial Elections would take place exactly two years after the inauguration of the Constitutional Convention, on February 24th of 1824.

Emperor Charles ratified the Constitution with the understanding the crowning ceremony would take place until after the elections in the aftermath of his proclamation by the legislative.

 

[Unknown]

This is interesting; waiting for more...

 

[Sceonn]

Well, I hope you don't make this a US screw.

 

[Nivek]

Well, I hope you don't make this a US screw.

This again, if USA never conquer mexican land is a screw or just a natural butterflies? i knew gringos don't want his country to lose but that is how story rolls...

 

[Sceonn]

This again, if USA never conquer mexican land is a screw or just a natural butterflies? i knew gringos don't want his country to lose but that is how story rolls...

Please don't make assumptions about what I said.

I just read a TL in which the Author stated that he/she made a US screw just to keep them out of the picture of Latin America. And another Mexico TL that's done it just to show off Mexico's power.

Screwing nations in a TL just to wank another leaves a bad taste in my mouth, hence my comment.

 

[Emperor of ASB]

Really enjoying this timeline, can't wait for more.

 

[Foadar]

Amazing. Best Mexico timeline so far.

 

[LNSS]

Please don't make assumptions about what I said.

I just read a TL in which the Author stated that he/she made a US screw just to keep them out of the picture of Latin America. And another Mexico TL that's done it just to show off Mexico's power.

Screwing nations in a TL just to wank another leaves a bad taste in my mouth, hence my comment.

I don't plan to screw the U.S., it's actually going to remain very important in this timeline.

 

[AcaciaSgt]

This again, if USA never conquer mexican land is a screw or just a natural butterflies?

In regards to the question, I personally believe it's just butterflies. With or without the Mexican lands (including Texas), I don't quite believe it's a big blow to the US. Well, who knows by the time of the mid-late 20th century, but in the 19th it's hardly a big dent negating that OTL outcome.

I suppose it's practically innevitable for such questions to rise when it comes to TL's like these.

 

[Herr Frage]

Oh my, so the hunt for a European prince succeeds? Interesting. I wonder how this new Empire with so much of the Old World in it will affect how not only mexico develops but the rest of Latin America. And of course if mexico avoids its OTL pitfalls I don't see America seizing so much of the West.

Though it seems likely there will be a clash. This POD leaves the USa still primed to expand westward, and the relatively lightly settled Northern mexico is likely to remain tempting. Especially if the Americans build it up as some republican liberation mission.

Wonder if the Mormons will still end up at the Lake?

 

[AcaciaSgt]

Oh my, so the hunt for a European prince succeeds? Interesting. I wonder how this new Empire with so much of the Old World in it will affect how not only mexico develops but the rest of Latin America. And of course if mexico avoids its OTL pitfalls I don't see America seizing so much of the West.

Though it seems likely there will be a clash. This POD leaves the USa still primed to expand westward, and the relatively lightly settled Northern mexico is likely to remain tempting. Especially if the Americans build it up as some republican liberation mission.

Wonder if the Mormons will still end up at the Lake?

Possibly. It's a bit interesting to see that American settlers would choose the southwest to expand into over the plains, despite only owning the latter at the time. Then again, that drive was mostly from southerners, and Texas was the next area in their path. Speaking of, I don't suppose the new events have changed anything regarding the Austins' endeavors to bring settlers into east Texas.

In any case, I would think that as long relations with the natives don't sour too much, and more non-Anglo settlers can move to the north, it can serve as detraction for American expansion. Maybe.

 

[Herr Frage]

Possibly. It's a bit interesting to see that American settlers would choose the southwest to expand into over the plains, despite only owning the latter at the time. Then again, that drive was mostly from southerners, and Texas was the next area in their path. Speaking of, I don't suppose the new events have changed anything regarding the Austins' endeavors to bring settlers into east Texas.

In any case, I would think that as long relations with the natives don't sour too much, and more non-Anglo settlers can move to the north, it can serve as detraction for American expansion. Maybe.

My understanding was that prior to some plow innovations or something the Americans had difficulty farming the Plains. And so you had things like the Oregon trail where the Plains and such where regions to traverse for the settler migration in favor of the Pacific coastal regions.

The USA is well established now and figures like Andrew Jackson loom. Hmm, the Americans I assume have grabbed Florida as per OTL? I wonder if Spain continues to convulse while Mexico hopefully prosper if Cuba and other colonies may direst their eyes to mexico City for protection?

Will the Empire of Mexico be seeking immigrants? Or opening to them?

 

[AcaciaSgt]

My understanding was that prior to some plow innovations or something the Americans had difficulty farming the Plains. And so you had things like the Oregon trail where the Plains and such where regions to traverse for the settler migration in favor of the Pacific coastal regions.

The USA is well established now and figures like Andrew Jackson loom. Hmm, the Americans I assume have grabbed Florida as per OTL? I wonder if Spain continues to convulse while Mexico hopefully prosper if Cuba and other colonies may direst their eyes to mexico City for protection?

Will the Empire of Mexico be seeking immigrants? Or opening to them?

I think settling the plains was part of the Whig agenda. Maybe if they have had the chance, who knows.

Perhaps even earlier than that. I would think James Monroe would had quite to say regarding the Empire, specially in 1823. I would think so about Florida, since it predates the PoD. Well, there were plans in OTL to also wrestle Cuba from Spanish control, as a precaution to reconquest attempts and to liberate the last Spanish holdings in the Americas, if I remember right. TTL... well, over yonder in South America they may remain, but who knows about Mexico proper now. Then again, the way the last update ended... but who knows.

Probably not different from OTL. Colonizing the north was a priority in OTL's Empire and later the first Federal Republic. Here it may be no different. Speaking of, as I mentioned earlier, I wonder what's now the deal with the American immigrants and the subject of Slavery Abolition. In OTL, Coahuila & Texas was granted an exception to abolition, since at the time the American settlers were as seen as too valuable to develop the land to deny them their slaves. But it's hard to say what is TTL's Empire's stance on Americans bringing their slaves.